The Shield

oin us as Jasmine Gilbert tells us about the work she does with local students and the implementation of prevention efforts in Birmingham. 

Jasmine, a  Birmingham native and an alumna of Birmingham City Schools, discusses her love for the City of Birmingham and her determination of to enrich the lives of Birmingham residents. Jasmine is currently the Program Director for APC’s SAMHSA grant, Strategic Prevention Framework-Partnerships for Success.  In addition to working with a team to coordinate substance use prevention efforts within the City of Birmingham, she also coordinates APC’s student programs. Jasmine shares with us her love for working with students and watching them develop into young leaders within their schools and their community. 

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Join us as Candace Rachel, the Rapid Response Coordinator for the Jefferson County Department of Health’s Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) initiative, tells us about the work that is being done to combat opioid overdoses in Alabama. 

Candace, who is jokingly known as “Narcan Nancy” by many people she has trained on how to administer Naloxone, discusses how she became interested in working with people, who are less resourced. She also discusses her love for APC’s pop-up resource fairs, which are hosted in areas with high overdose rates and few resources. Pop-up resource fairs are designed to meet people where they are and take resources directly to people, who need them the most. Candace also discusses the reduction in the perception of risk of adolescent substance use, and the importance of parents talking to their children about substance use.  

Naloxone (Narcan) is now available over the counter, but it can still be obtained for free through the Jefferson County Department of Health for Alabama residents. 

https://jcdh.org/SitePages/Programs-Services/CommunityHealth/SubstanceUseandAddiction/NaloxoneFentanylTraining.aspx

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Join us as Adam Schniper and Janae Pinson from Compact tell us about Compact's substance use prevention initiatives in Shelby County, Alabama, and how Compact has become a trusted, vital community resource. 

In 2016, Compact was established by the Shelby County District Attorney with the goal of reducing the rate of substance use in Shelby County. Since its inception, Compact has served as a resource for families, schools, and students. Today, Compact primarily focuses on supporting juveniles that are at a high risk for substance use or may already be using substances. Compact provides family intervention, community education, and connection to resources. Compact works to serve as an ally for individuals and families, and to empower and guide them in the right direction to be healthy and successful.

Janae Pinson serves as the Community Resource Coordinator. She is a former educator, who is passionate about identifying the needs of the community and educating the community to prevent substance use. Adam Schniper has been with Compact since it was established, and he works to implement prevention initiatives within the City of Pelham and Pelham City Schools. Adam is passionate about preventing the onset of substance use in adolescents, and supporting individuals and families to seek support and recovery.

To learn more or to contact Compact visit https://www.compact2020.com/ 
Janae Pinson: [email protected]
Adam Schniper: [email protected]

#addiction #prevention #substanceabuse

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Join us as Bronwyn McInturff, an APC board member and a social worker with nearly 25 years of experience working in the substance use field, discusses stigma, the evolution of substance use treatment, and treatment limitations due to funding. 

Bronwyn also tells us about how she was introduced to the mental health field by her mother, who is also a helping professional. She discusses what it was like working with clients at UAB Medicine’s Addiction Recovery Program and being inspired by watching people transform their lives from being in active addiction to thriving in recovery. Although Bronwyn formally retired in 2023, she could not stay away from her passion for too long. She now works part-time providing individual counseling services to clients.

To contact or learn more about UAB Medicine’s Addiction Recovery Program, call 205-975-8524 or visit their website.

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Join us for a conversation with Emily Herring, LICSW, as she discusses the work of Fairfield High School’s INFOCUS chapter and the positive impact she is having on the lives of her students! 
 
Since 2020, Emily Herring, or Ms. Emily as she is commonly known by her students and APC staff, has worked with Fairfield City Schools to improve the mental health and wellbeing of her students. Ms. Emily is the Mental Health Coordinator for Fairfield City Schools and the facilitator for the INFOCUS chapter at Fairfield High School. Ms. Emily grew up in Austin, Texas, and moved to Alabama to attend Auburn University. While at Auburn, she immediately fell in love with the social work profession. Through her work, Ms. Emily grew to love working with under-resourced populations to help improve their lives and wellbeing. In 2023, Ms. Emily was awarded the Difference Maker award, which was presented by the FOCUS Program, for her wonderful work with the students at Fairfield High School. Ms. Emily and the Fairfield High School INFOCUS group have worked to implement mental health resource fairs and other initiatives in their school and the neighboring middle school.  In 2023, their hard work was featured in a story by WBRC.   
 
INFOCUS groups are student led and adult guided groups within high schools, which focus on implementing positive initiatives on mental health and other catalyst issues that often lead to substance use in their school and community. INFOCUS aims to support student leaders, who have a lasting, positive influence on their peers and in their environment. 

To learn more about INFOCUS: https://apcbham.org/who-we-are/how-we-help/students-2/
To learn more about the INFOCUS group’s impact: https://www.wbrc.com/video/2023/05/08/fairfield-city-schools-focusing-students-mental-health/

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Join us as Dave Urech tells us about what it is like being a parent of a child with a substance use disorder and his passion for working with families with a similar experience. 

Dave Urech, a Michigan native, moved to Alabama about a decade ago, and he and his wife, Laura, became engaged in a local support group for parents of a child with a substance use disorder. Both Dave and his wife had been impacted by their son’s substance use disorder and were seeking additional support. Soon, Dave and his wife began leading a family support group, which is designed to support parents and family members of a loved one with a substance use disorder through education and connection. 

Dave’s group meets at Asbury Church (Birmingham, Alabama) on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. In addition to his group, APC’s Executive Director, Carie, and her husband, Art, have a family support group that meets at the Moore Institute on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. To learn more about the groups, contact Dave (717-341-1918) or Art (205-616-8867). 

More information can be found on APC’s website: https://apcbham.org/who-we-are/how-we-help/family-members-support/

#addiction #prevention #family

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Join us as Dr. John Dantzler discusses how he started his career in educational research and program evaluation, but found his way into the field of substance use. Dr. Dantzler discusses the importance of affordable and effective substance use treatment options for everyone. 

Dr. John Dantzler is a professor within UAB’s Department of Psychiatry, the Vice Chair of Substance Abuse Programs at UAB, and the Executive Director of UAB Beacon Recovery and UAB’s Community Justice programs. In addition to his many other roles, Dr. Dantzler serves on APC’s Executive Board.  Thanks to his multiple decades of work in the substance use field, Dr. Dantzler has a unique view of how treatment has changed over the years. One of the changes that has occurred is how people view substance use, and how they have started supporting the Brain Disease Model of Addiction. While stigma still exists, the shift to viewing addiction as a disease has been pivotal to helping those with substance use disorders obtain treatment services. 

While stigma has started to decrease in recent years, barriers to treatment still exist.  One of the main barriers is funding. UAB Beacon is a successful treatment program that works to eliminate that barrier. UAB Beacon Recovery is an accessible treatment option for those in Central Alabama. UAB Beacon Recovery operates on a sliding scale, which bases the cost of treatment based on the client’s income. UAB Beacon Recovery also operates a clinic, known as their Bridge Clinic, which allows patients to see a physician, case manager, and receive an ASAM assessment. The clinic was established to bridge the gaps for those seeking treatment, and reduce the difficulty of navigating the healthcare system to obtain treatment services. 

Link to UAB Beacon: https://www.uabmedicine.org/specialties/beacon-recovery-program/ 

Link to UAB’s Community Justice programs: https://www.uab.edu/medicine/substanceabuse/about

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Join us as Liz Read discusses finding out about her loved one’s substance use disorder, and how this discovery and led to her creating Clearlee, an app that provides dignified drug testing. 

Liz Read, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, had her world turned upside down when she discovered that a loved one was suffering from a substance use disorder. This discovery impacted her whole family.  During the time of reestablishing the a foundation to move forward with their lives, Liz’ family member was required to complete drug tests. Liz noted the obstacles and complexity of the drug testing process. This observation sparked her interest in improving the process. In November 2020, Liz presented her concept at Alabama Launchpad’s competition, and much to her surprise, she was the winner of the Concept Stage.

Clearlee is an app that provides families and organizations with empowering accountability through dignified drug testing.  Clearlee provides the person being tested with the necessary testing supplies and detailed instructions, and the person requesting the test receives reliable, real-time information. In addition to working with individual families, Clearlee works with sober living facilities, treatment centers, and employers to provide accountability testing to their clients. 

You can contact Liz at [email protected], and for general questions about Clearlee you can contact at [email protected]. 

https://clearlee.com

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Join us as Jared Murray, a person in long-term recovery and an Admissions Specialist for Momentum Recovery, tells us his story about using substances as a young adult and his pathway to recovery. 

Jared Murray discusses how he first experimented with alcohol and marijuana before starting the 8th grade. While in high school, he eventually started using opioids, benzodiazepines, and cocaine. Despite several negative consequences of his substance use, Jared continued to use substances through college until he eventually went to treatment. After facing legal and academic consequences, Jared re-enrolled at The University of Alabama, and he went on to graduate from UA and help establish UA’s Collegiate Recovery Community. Jared tells us about the role that being connected to others has played in his ability to be successful in his recovery.  In addition to discussing his experience with substance use and recovery, Jared tells us about the role of his parents and how they were impacted by his substance use.  

Today, Jared is a few months shy of being 13 years sober and works as an admissions specialist for Momentum Recovery, an addiction treatment program for young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. Momentum Recovery is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and is split into two programs, The Creek (men’s program) and The Cove (women’s program) and incorporates Adventure Based Therapy, which is highly effective with young adults.  Jared can be contacted at 205-600-4312 and [email protected]. 

https://www.momentumrecovery.com/

https://cris.sa.ua.edu/

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition